Team Highlight: Mary Star
AVP | Branch Manager – Ashland City branch
For Mary Star, AVP/Branch Manager at Legends Bank’s Ashland City location, banking has always been about much more than transactions. It’s about listening, building relationships and truly getting to know the people you serve.
With 42 years in the banking industry and two and a half years at Legends Bank, Mary brings decades of experience to her role while still approaching each customer relationship with the same personal attention that first drew her to community banking.
Building Relationships Through Banking
As Branch Manager, Mary leads the Ashland City team, develops customer relationships, helps grow the bank’s business and works to ensure customers receive the exceptional, legendary service Legends Bank is known for.
One of her favorite parts of the job is helping employees who are new to banking learn to love the industry as much as she does.
“I like to teach them that listening is a skill and that having a conversation with a customer is the perfect way to learn who they are and what they need from Legends Bank,” Mary said.
Mary follows that same approach with her own customers. She listens to the everyday details they share, whether they’re talking about their families, their jobs, car troubles or what’s happening in their lives, and looks for ways she may be able to help.
Those conversations allow her to understand the whole person behind the account and offer ideas that may help customers make sound financial decisions and plan for the future.
Who Is Your Banker?
One question Mary often asks prospective customers is not simply where they bank, but who they bank with.
“When I ask prospective customers why they bank at another bank, they often tell me it’s because they’ve banked there for many years,” Mary said. “I always ask them, ‘But WHO do you bank with? WHO is your banker?’”
For Mary, that distinction matters.
“When my customers have a financial need, I want them to call me, their banker,” says Mary. “Because that’s what it’s all about, the relationships we form.”
It’s an approach that reflects what Mary values most about community banking: having someone you know and trust who understands you, your goals and your financial needs.
Proud to Live and Work in Ashland City
Originally from Deerfield, Illinois, Mary now lives and works in Ashland City, and she loves being part of the community she serves.
She appreciates everything from watching the high school Homecoming parade pass directly in front of the bank to decorating Legends Bank’s tree along the Mistletoe Trail and supporting local businesses whenever she can.
Mary also serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce, where she enjoys ribbon cuttings, roundtables, and events that support local businesses and the county as a whole.
She is also a member of the Ashland City Civitan Club and has helped with special events honoring local clergy and first responders, as well as collecting toys for Christmas Anonymous, which provides gifts to more than 500 children in Cheatham County each year.
A Hometown Bank Feel
After more than four decades in the industry, Mary says Legends Bank reminds her of the bank where she first began her career.
“I am grateful to be a part of Legends Bank, which reminds me so much of my first bank — a strongly run, community-engaged, hometown bank,” she said. “There are no strangers here, and the CEO is just as liable to walk in the door as a teller from Clarksville.”
That sense of connection is one of the things Mary values most.
“I tell people all the time that I feel as though I both live and work in a Norman Rockwell painting every day,” she said. “That’s the feeling you’ll get when you bank with Legends Bank, too.”
– Mary Star
From Chicago Sports Legends to Legends Bank
Mary’s long banking career has also included a few memorable customers.
At her first banking job, she had the opportunity to bank the Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears, the championship-winning Chicago Bulls, and the Chicago Cubs, who remain her personal favorite.
Outside of work and community involvement, however, Mary’s favorite thing to do is spend time with her six grandchildren in the Chicago and Washington, D.C. areas.
After 42 years in banking, Mary still finds fulfillment in the same things that have always mattered most to her: listening to people, building meaningful relationships and being part of a community where customers know exactly who their banker is.
Your Community Is Our Community.
At Legends Bank, we believe great banking starts with great people. Our Team Highlights series shines a light on the team members who serve our communities with a commitment to building lasting relationships.
About Legends Bank
Founded in 1998, Legends Bank is a trusted community bank serving Middle Tennessee with branch locations across Montgomery, Davidson, Williamson, and Cheatham Counties. Additionally, Legends Bank provides personalized financial services through a wide range of banking products, including personal and business banking, mortgage services, and financial planning solutions.